You are Someone’s Essential

When I open the app to type a blog post, the cursor flashes on a line of text that reads, “Share your story here….” My story. What if I don’t like my story today? What if I fail at ordinary? What if I feel lost in the shadows of the capes of all the supers out there? To the world, my work, my care of the children I love, does not at the present moment qualify as essential. What does that mean? Are my contributions to the world meaningless? Unimportant? Unnecessary? Where is my place in the global fight against this virus? What is my worth? I feel lost in some bizarre day that seems to never end and to never really start again.

Recently, I wrote a letter to one of my childhood teachers who lives in a retirement community on lockdown. The reply I received told me that my letter “meant the world” to her. I felt stunned. This woman is the super-hero of teaching. The fact she even remembers my name means the world to me.

I sent a text to a friend recovering from an injury to check on her. She appreciated my thoughts which again surprised me. I feel small in this big world, and I often feel like a child bringing construction paper flowers glued to popsicle sticks while everyone else shows up with bouquets of professionally cut and arranged flowers.

I vacuumed and mopped all the floors in our house before my husband finished his shift because he finds freshly cleaned floors calming. I put down the newsfeed on my phone and played board games with my son and made Duplo Lego people talk in silly voices with my daughter. I call my mom each morning. I routinely text pictures of our kids playing to friends and family in an effort to send something happy into the world.

If I refused to get out of bed tomorrow, the world would not stop. In fact, very few people would even notice. But, I am important. We are all important.

Maybe your actions impact many people. Maybe your actions impact only one person. Maybe you wonder whether your actions impact anyone at all. Bring your love, whatever it is… dozens of long stem red roses or construction paper flowers. Share your love. Share your story. You are someone’s essential.